Artist biography

Biography of Jake Fryer

The fantastic playing of Bird, Clifford Brown, Dexter Gordon and Johnny Hodges amongst others had a strong impact on Jake from a young age .

Soon after graduating in music he began playing lead alto in the Stan Reynolds and Bill Geldard Big Band.Working alongside such musicians as Jackie Armstrong and Derek Healey.

This in turn lead to function and recording work with t.v. musical director Don Hunt,and fellow jazz musicians Frank Griffith,Simon Carter and Janusez Carmella.

His playing is strongly rooted in the Be Bop/Hard Bop idiom and his greatest influence is the American alto star Phil Woods.Jakes full,passionate tone and driving sense of swing is frequently commented upon admiringly ."It's important to be a passionate player"Jake comments,"thats the great tradition of making music,make it come from the voice.No matter where the venue or size of the crowd blow it as if it's the last chorus you'll ever take."

Jake has enjoyed great sucsses with groups in the U.K. playing venues including The National Theatre, The Criterion Theatre and a residency at the Bulls Head.He has also played abroad in Canada and most recently at the Duc des Lombards jazz club in Paris.Jake also played at the 2006 London Jazz festival at the Pizza Express Dean Street Club with Malene Mortenson supporting Stan Tracey and Guy Barker.He has also guested with Karen Lane at Pizza on the Park playing alongside pianist Tom Cawley.

The release of his album "On Our Terms" with his latest band "The London Be Bop Collective" boasts a line up of some of the top names on the UK jazz scene .It has lead to an invite to headlinig apperances at the Jazz Utsav in Delhi and the Bandra festival in Mumbai.Following this his band will be touring India in Calcutta ,Bangalore and Puna.There is a UK tour planned for mid 2008 with venues up and down the country from Scotland to the Channel Islands.

As well as performing with his own jazz group Jake has played lead alto with the legendry motown group the Four Tops.He has also performed in musicals up and down the country as well as Londons West End and composed various pieces of music for television.

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